10 years of being on Wolfquest Forums: A Retrospective
Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:19 pm
Today marks a decade of me being a part of the Wolfquest forums and it's left me feeling reflective. I've loved the game for even longer and have countless good memories from there, but it's the forums that have shaped me the most. I was something of a rogueish rule-breaking outlaw, joining the forums as a non-COPPA user well below the age of thirteen. If not for the heavy moderation and stringent rules, that would have been problematic. Instead, due to the moderation and community, these forums ended up playing a small but valuable role in my growing up.
I speak well of (most of) the rules now, but I was frustrated by them initially. They encouraged me to be the best I could be, and I didn't like them. I wasn't used to being challenged – after all, I was a kid, and everyone treated me as such. The anonymity of the forums, though, meant that there were implicit expectations placed on me regardless of my age. I either could play by the rules, or go home and waited until I had matured. I was impatient, so I accepted the challenge.
Real life doesn't have a rulebook on how to act. While growing up I would shrink into my shell, terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. The forums, however, did have clearly spelled out rules. There were even little user-made guides that gave friendly advice on how to conduct myself (like this one). When I did make a mistake, I was swiftly and gently corrected. There was no additional shame or social repercussions. I can't think of a better gift for a shy, self-conscious kid. The forums provided a training ground for me to learn how to express myself and interact with others. I learned what I contributed had to be constructive (and at least somewhat original). If I was sharing information, it had to be well-sourced. And, though it was never strictly required, I learned soon enough to use proper grammar. I can flip through my posts and see how in just two years of infrequent forums activity the way I communicated entirely changed. Even more, I learned not to be reactive, to remember there's a person behind the screen, to think twice before I typed a post. I learned how to humbly learn from my mistakes and be patient with the mistakes of others. After all, I was once a "newbie" just like them. These forums weren't a place to win arguments. They were a place to contribute, collaborate, and learn. I learned the rules and delighted in participating in this community.
When I found the User Writings section it inspired me to write stories (a wolf video game introduced me to one of my greatest passions). I received praise and encouragement, but also critique for the first time in my life. Again, there was no shame or stigma attached. It was offered as a gift and I learned to use it to make me better. There was an old User Writing guide that introduced me to word count, the publishing process, and character arcs. I wrote story after story and poem after poem and with every work I received encouragement, found new writing buddies, and was continuously offered helpful critique. I delighted in being listened to and taken seriously. I can't stress how important it is for a child to be taken seriously, to have their thoughts and ideas and artwork considered. Unlike the real world, I was never patronized, belittled, or dismissed. The critique itself was a sign I was being taken seriously, so I learned to love it. I was encouraged, but I was never given a "gold star" and a pat on the head. Instead, I was challenged to grow in my writing. Eventually, that gave me the courage to share my writing with the real world.
User Writings has some basic rules for realism, which meant I had to figure out what was realistic. In short, I had to learn how to learn. That was a new, deeply valuable skill. It has improved my life in every way, and I can only trace it back to this place. I learned to ask questions and seek out the answers. I learned to research and find reputable sources. I learned about wolf misconceptions and "fake news" and to dig deeper to find the truth. I learned about the complexity of wildlife management. The community encouraged me to dig deeper than "Save the wolves!1!". Suddenly, I found myself pondering the impact of wolf reintroduction on ranchers and native populations and found that answers are not always clearcut. Almost accidentally, I learned another valuable lesson – nuance.
The benefits of this internet space leaked into the real world. As a kid, I brought a story I wrote here to a young writer's conference and read it aloud in front of a large crowd. I went to Yellowstone and pelted a wildlife biologist with dozens of questions. I got exceptionally high scores in every English class I ever was in because I had already learned the basic principles of good communication and thorough research. I read countless books recommended to me by forums users that were supposed to be above my reading level. I started a creative writing-themed pack that taught me about moderating a community and building a website. I became a beta tester, which really gave me an in-depth look into game design. And there's no way I can fully express what good it did for me to learn how to be more fair, reasonable, and thoughtful.
My generation has been deeply shaped by the internet. It's a strange thing, the way the internet can "raise" a child, with even stranger results. It seems that most of my peers ended up in some online community that shaped them. Much of the time, these communities are lawless. They take children (who, naturally, lie about their age), inevitably traumatize them, and shape them into people who are reactive and harsh. Ever so often, though, there's a community that does the opposite.
Thank you for offering a safe place for a shy kid to grow up. Thank you for teaching her to be curious, creative, and conscientious. Thank you for teaching her to be respectful and thoughtful, teaching her to accept critique, grow from her mistakes, and for challenging her with new ideas. Thank you for being patient with her, especially everyone who was a moderator when I was determined to break the rules.
So, as this is a forum, I want to hear from you. I know many of you have been here much longer than I have. What has this community taught you or helped shape you into?
I speak well of (most of) the rules now, but I was frustrated by them initially. They encouraged me to be the best I could be, and I didn't like them. I wasn't used to being challenged – after all, I was a kid, and everyone treated me as such. The anonymity of the forums, though, meant that there were implicit expectations placed on me regardless of my age. I either could play by the rules, or go home and waited until I had matured. I was impatient, so I accepted the challenge.
Real life doesn't have a rulebook on how to act. While growing up I would shrink into my shell, terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. The forums, however, did have clearly spelled out rules. There were even little user-made guides that gave friendly advice on how to conduct myself (like this one). When I did make a mistake, I was swiftly and gently corrected. There was no additional shame or social repercussions. I can't think of a better gift for a shy, self-conscious kid. The forums provided a training ground for me to learn how to express myself and interact with others. I learned what I contributed had to be constructive (and at least somewhat original). If I was sharing information, it had to be well-sourced. And, though it was never strictly required, I learned soon enough to use proper grammar. I can flip through my posts and see how in just two years of infrequent forums activity the way I communicated entirely changed. Even more, I learned not to be reactive, to remember there's a person behind the screen, to think twice before I typed a post. I learned how to humbly learn from my mistakes and be patient with the mistakes of others. After all, I was once a "newbie" just like them. These forums weren't a place to win arguments. They were a place to contribute, collaborate, and learn. I learned the rules and delighted in participating in this community.
When I found the User Writings section it inspired me to write stories (a wolf video game introduced me to one of my greatest passions). I received praise and encouragement, but also critique for the first time in my life. Again, there was no shame or stigma attached. It was offered as a gift and I learned to use it to make me better. There was an old User Writing guide that introduced me to word count, the publishing process, and character arcs. I wrote story after story and poem after poem and with every work I received encouragement, found new writing buddies, and was continuously offered helpful critique. I delighted in being listened to and taken seriously. I can't stress how important it is for a child to be taken seriously, to have their thoughts and ideas and artwork considered. Unlike the real world, I was never patronized, belittled, or dismissed. The critique itself was a sign I was being taken seriously, so I learned to love it. I was encouraged, but I was never given a "gold star" and a pat on the head. Instead, I was challenged to grow in my writing. Eventually, that gave me the courage to share my writing with the real world.
User Writings has some basic rules for realism, which meant I had to figure out what was realistic. In short, I had to learn how to learn. That was a new, deeply valuable skill. It has improved my life in every way, and I can only trace it back to this place. I learned to ask questions and seek out the answers. I learned to research and find reputable sources. I learned about wolf misconceptions and "fake news" and to dig deeper to find the truth. I learned about the complexity of wildlife management. The community encouraged me to dig deeper than "Save the wolves!1!". Suddenly, I found myself pondering the impact of wolf reintroduction on ranchers and native populations and found that answers are not always clearcut. Almost accidentally, I learned another valuable lesson – nuance.
The benefits of this internet space leaked into the real world. As a kid, I brought a story I wrote here to a young writer's conference and read it aloud in front of a large crowd. I went to Yellowstone and pelted a wildlife biologist with dozens of questions. I got exceptionally high scores in every English class I ever was in because I had already learned the basic principles of good communication and thorough research. I read countless books recommended to me by forums users that were supposed to be above my reading level. I started a creative writing-themed pack that taught me about moderating a community and building a website. I became a beta tester, which really gave me an in-depth look into game design. And there's no way I can fully express what good it did for me to learn how to be more fair, reasonable, and thoughtful.
My generation has been deeply shaped by the internet. It's a strange thing, the way the internet can "raise" a child, with even stranger results. It seems that most of my peers ended up in some online community that shaped them. Much of the time, these communities are lawless. They take children (who, naturally, lie about their age), inevitably traumatize them, and shape them into people who are reactive and harsh. Ever so often, though, there's a community that does the opposite.
Thank you for offering a safe place for a shy kid to grow up. Thank you for teaching her to be curious, creative, and conscientious. Thank you for teaching her to be respectful and thoughtful, teaching her to accept critique, grow from her mistakes, and for challenging her with new ideas. Thank you for being patient with her, especially everyone who was a moderator when I was determined to break the rules.
So, as this is a forum, I want to hear from you. I know many of you have been here much longer than I have. What has this community taught you or helped shape you into?